Timepiece



Patented Oct. 7, 1924.7

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRI COLOMB, OF TAVANNES, SWITZERLAND.

TIMEPIECE.

Application filed January 6, 1922. Serial No. 527,477.

T all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRI CoLoMB, a citizen of Switzerland, residing atTavannes, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsv in Timepieces, of

which the following is a specification.

In order to change the mainsspring of a time piece, it is necessary toremove the barrel; it is therefore of great importance, espe- '10 ciallyfor the Iepairer, that the latter may easily and rapidly be removed.

In time-pieces called cock-pieces, that is to say, pieces in which eachwheel and particularly the barrel turn in an independent cock,disassembling is comparatively easy. In pieces called 5% plate pieces,however, in which the same cock covers the barrel, the centre wheel, theythird wheel, the fourth wheel and the escapement wheel, the operationis more diliicult. The removal of the barrel necessitates almost thecomplete disassembling of the movement; this, of course, complicates there-assembling and increases the risks of breaking inherent to this operation.

The spring motor for time pieces according to the present invention isof such a construction that the core of the barrel may be removedwithout necessitating the removal of the cock or of the plate in whichthe barrel is rotatably mounted. In order to change the broken spring itis then pos sible to remove the barrel by radially moving it between theplate and the cock, and afterwards to replace the barrel and core in amanner corresponding to that of removal.

The annexed drawings show a constructional example of a spring motoraccording to the invention.

Fig. 1 is a section of this form of execution taken through the axis ofthe barrel;

Fig. 2 is a plan view according to line II-II of Fig. 1. I

The motor shown comprises a barrel a without cover, turning between acock b and a plate c. The cock b is provided with a removable bearing dadjustably mounted in a suitable orifice provided in the cock. Thisbearing d is held in operative position by a screw e and its diameter isgreater than that of the core f, so that the latter may be axiallyinserted or removed through the aperture in which the bearing d isadapted to be housed when the said aperture is free.

The barrel can thus be unlocked, and may U then be removed sidewaysbetween the plate and the cock.

The shaft g is provided with a squared portion it on which is adjustedthe ratchet wheel e' which is a part of a clickwork whose click andspring are shown in Fig. 2. The main-spring is wound uo by means of saidratchet wheel c'. Preferably, the above mentioned click is pressed by aspring against the said ratchet wheel. As soon as the barrel shaft hasbeen removed from the piece, the ratchet wheel i tends` to moveradially, under the pressure of the click, 'that is to say to displace,relative tc the pivoting hole 7c, the axis of the orifice by which it isiitted on the squared portion It This motion is limited by three pins Z(only two of which are illustrated) which may be termed abutmentmembers. These pins are disposed in a circle which exceeds by somehundredths of millimeter the outer circle of the ratchet i, and preventradial displace` ment of the barrel axis to an extent suiii cient tolprevent the square z. from being introduced into the corresponding holeso that when, after having changed the spring and replaced the barrel,the barrel shaft is introduced into the latter through the oritice ofthe bearing a3, the ratchet c' is so positioned as to be capable ofreceiving the square L.

I claim:

l. In a time piece, a plate member, a cock member spaced from said platemember, one of said members being provided with an aperture, a removablebearing arranged in said aperture, an axle turning in said bearing, aspring core mounted on said axle, the diameter of said aperture being atleast equal to that of the core so that the latter may be removedwithout necessitating disassembling of the movement, a barrel andratchet mechanism including a ratchet wheel arranged between the platemember and cock member, and means cooperating with the ratchet mechanismfor preventing said ratchet wheel from radial displacement relative tothe axis of said axle.

2. In a time piece, a plate member, a cock member spaced from said platemember, one of said members being provided with an aperture, a removablebearing arranged in said aperture, an axle turning in said bearing? espring core mouioted on said axle, the diameter ol" seid aperture beingat least equal to that of the core so that the latter may be removedWithout necessitating disassembliiigf; of the ifnoveirient`y a, ratchetWheel mounted on said axle, L spring pressed pawl cooperating with saidratchet Wheel, and

abutment pins projecting from said plete member and cooperating withsaid ratchet Wheel for preventing undue radial displace- 10 ment of theletter when said axle is removed.

In testimony whereof zii-Ex my signature.

HENRI @OLUME

